A Hundred Photographs Scattered on the Floor
by Charlie'sDragon
Summary: It was the three of them- red and white and blue, smiling across each photograph with arms slung around each other. Lily and Victoire and Teddy through the years.
1. Chapter 1

_July 2__nd__- Lily: 4 years, Vic: 10 years, Teddy: 13 years_

It's a sunny day, the type of day when your mom casts a hundred sun protection charms on you and sticks a hat on top of your head because she's Mum and therefore prone to overreacting.

You and Vic are sitting out in the garden, her reading a book and you pretending to read over her shoulder. She often ends up watching you because she's not terribly interested in Quidditch and is the least likely to feed you something from Uncle George's shop or chuck you in the pond and teach you to swim. You're basically friends, as far as two people that far apart in ages can be, because you're rather mature for your age and Vic sometimes isn't.

Teddy comes over later, smiling and teasing Vic because even though she's three years younger he's just realized that girls maybe don't have cooties and wow she's pretty. He puts up with you because he idolizes your dad and you don't bother him to let you ride on his new Lightning 2000 or ask him to change his hair a hundred different colors like Rose does (you sometimes see her with her face screwed up, like she's trying to become a Metamorphous too).

Vic puts her book down and pulls you up into her lap as a sort of shield against Teddy (boys have germs and do weird things like pull your hair or poke you after all). The two of them start talking, and it's moderately awkward but not incredibly so. Somehow, Vic ends up braiding half of your hair and trying to teach Teddy how to do the other half. They're laughing and it's becoming less like braids and more like knots, but you're giggling too.

You mum snaps a picture, the three of you laughing and it's pronounced "adorable" by everyone in the family. Teddy is teased mercilessly and refuses to even give you a hug for nearly a month, but somehow by the time you're fifth birthday rolls around the three of you are best friends.

_September 1__st__- Lily: 6 years, Vic: 11 years, Teddy: 15 years_

It's the first of September, the first day of Hogwarts for Vic and the beginning of fifth year for Teddy. They're leaving you behind and you hopehopehope that they'll remember you when they go off to the castle of magic and everything that was apparently your dad's favorite time in the world.

Your parents are taking Teddy and you beg to go with them instead of being watched by Aunt Hermione (she always makes you _read_) and having to play with Hugo who is still only five and always so sticky. So you put on a prettypretty pick dress (look Vic picked it out for you and if you wear what she likes then you'll be angel perfect like her, right?), grab your little dragon toy that Uncle Charlie gave you and get in the car after "helping" Teddy carry his trunk.

You get to the station and spot Vic's silvery blonde hair through the thick fog, but don't run over to her yet because you've got to stick with Teddy- you pinky promised your dad that you wouldn't run off. You nudge Teddy and point to Vic, and the two of you walk over slowly and properly, like how Lucy always tries to (she says she's a princess, but you say you're a dragon and therefore get to have the pretty ring that she found at the playground).

Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur are standing behind her, Aunt Fleur straightening her robes and trying to make her stand still long enough to finish putting her hair into a braid. They finish finally, and all of you give each other hugs and exclaim over how grown up Teddy looks and how tall you're getting, even though you see them every Sunday when you visit Grandma and Grandpa. It's boring and silly and rather annoying, but you figure it's slightly better than when you go and visit Uncle Dudley and Great Aunt Petunia and she looks like she'll cry and he looks like he's going to run out of the room screaming.

So you're finally done with the family stuff and you're allowed to talk to Vic and give her a hug. You press a flower into her hand to, and it's small and you picked it all by yourself. Teddy just charmed it, you say, and laugh when Uncle Bill gives Teddy his death stare. Vic blushes and starts talking about your dress and things, while out of the corner of your eye you see Teddy's hair turning faintly pink.

The whistle blows though, and Aunt Fleur mumbles something in French before telling you and Teddy and Vic to stand together and smile. You do and she snaps a quick picture that is ruined (in Aunt Fleur's eyes anyways) that has Teddy bent over double laughing because you started tickling him and Vic giving you a pair of bunny ears. She scolds you because there isn't enough time for another picture and Teddy and Vic have already escaped with only quick hugs from the two of them.

You're afraid this means they don't care, but then you see them waving and a little note folded into the shape of a paper crane lands on your head. All it says is 'Write!' in Vic's slightly sloppy handwriting, but you throw them a smile that you're pretty sure they're too far away to see, and rush back over to where your dad and mom have been waylaid by some important guy (you think he might have been the Minister of Magic, possibly) and tug them to the car because you have to get home and send a letter to Teddy and Vic.

_August 15__th__- Lily on her 8__th__ birthday, Vic: 13 years, Teddy: 17 years_

It's your birthday, an annoyingly hot day where there are clouds in the sky and enough humidity to make you sweat even with a cooling charm (the fact that Teddy cast it instead of Vic probably doesn't help much). Everyone is crowded into your house, people spilling out of the doors, smallish explosions coming from upstairs (you think that it's coming from James's room and you hope his present is less slimy and explosive than last year) and Dom, Al and Lucy are flying around tossing a Quaffle. Birthdays in your family are always just an excuse for everyone to get together and eat and argue a lot, so you don't really mind that the only people paying attention to you are Teddy and Vic. Even your parents are a bit busy, although you can't blame them. After all, Mum is once again (it's sort of what she does every year for your birthday) trying to bake a cake the Muggle way and Dad is trying to make sure that she doesn't burn down the kitchen.

So you're sitting on the ground next to Teddy because even though you were sitting on his lap earlier he shoved you off because it was just too hot. He looks almost asleep, sprawled over nearly the entire floor of the tree house that your dad built a year back. Vic is leaning against one wall, looking too cool and collected because she managed to get her charm right. You tease Teddy about the fact that she's far better at charms that he is and four years younger.

You all three laugh, although Teddy first pretends that he's terribly angry with you and says that he won't give you your birthday present. Then he takes a package out of his bag, handing it to you. You immediately tear off the wrapping paper, and Vic inches close to see what it is. It's a camera- a pretty one, silver, that Teddy says can take both Muggle and wizard photographs. Pulling Vic closer to you and shoving Teddy upright, you tell them to smile and snap a picture.

It's only a Muggle photograph and a blurry print of your thumb is covering Vic's ear, but you love it and stick it on the wall of your room by a permanent sticking charm that you made Teddy do (your mum gets so _so _mad, but you work on Dad and Mum doesn't end up murdering you).

_June 17__th__- Lily: 8 years old, Vic: 14 years old, Teddy: 18 years old_

It's the first day of summer for Vic, and Teddy's going to be back soon from his London job as an intern at a very 'prisitgious' (according to Aunt Hermione anyways) Potions lab in London. Vic and Teddy have both been sending you letters, but they've been rather short the past month or so. You're worried, worried that they've forgotten about you now that Teddy is out of school and has a real job, and Vic has other friends who she hangs out with at school.

But they all come over the first day back. A huge party is thrown at Grandma's house, and James lords his Gryffindor tie over Al and Roxy and Fred (although he doesn't dare say anything to Lucy because she already has the scary Aunt Audrey death stare down- the one that says "you are so stupid, go die in a hole of dragon dung"). Vic's there, and immediately puts to rest any fears you had when she talks to you for an hour and a half about everything that happened that couldn't fit into her letter. You ask if she's got a boyfriend yet, once the two of you are out of earshot of Uncle Bill anyways, and she blushes red. You tickle her mercilessly but she won't tell, and Teddy isn't there yet to help you out.

He arrives just as dusk begins to fall, greeting everyone with side hugs and you with a twirl. Vic hangs back though, and the two of them disappear off into the tree house that Grandpa and Uncle Ron built.

You wonder what's going on, slipping away from everyone else after two games of Exploding Snap with Louis (he's only five and absolutely adorable- plus he's the only one you can actually beat). Something stops you from just barging in like you usually would, and instead peek in through a window. Vic and Teddy are sitting on the floor, her leaning in his lap, him playing with her long silvery hair. They're smiling and laughing and Teddy's hair is the color of Vic's blueblue eyes.

You make a noise, or start or something and they both turn to look at you. All three of you blush, Teddy's hair transforming from blue to orange, Vic scooting away from him quickly and you can feel the heat rushing over your face.

You go inside, sitting down, arms hugging your knees. They look at you for a sec, then both of them starting talking at the same time. "Sorry Lily, I know we should have wrote you" and "Oh, Lils, gosh, we're so sorry" mingle together, hanging in the air, waiting for you to say something.

You smile, tell them that they are such a cute couple and that you knew that they would be perfect for each other. You're not hurt, not really. Just a little bit worried that there won't be any room for you now. You take a picture of the two of them, with the camera that is still your most prized possession.

It looks a bit off, and you can't figure out why. It's clear and their faces are perfect and they're both just the type of annoying people who look good in photographs so you don't understand. You realize eventually that the reason it looks off is because you're not sitting in the middle, smiling as wide as you can, one arm around both of them.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I'm sort of worried about this one. Ah well, just wanted to get it up. Telling stories in photographs with all three of them is getting rather hard.

_September 1__st__- Lily: 9 years, Vic: 14 years, Teddy: 18 years_

It's going to be Albus's first day at Hogwarts and you're rather happy for him because however much Al looks like your dad he has always been a bit quiet and nerdy (and you might be too, but you cover it up with layers of excitement and chatter). You didn't manage to persuade your dad to let you drive with Teddy, because he's only just got his license over the summer and two crushed bushes in front of your how say that he might need a bit more practice.

Vic and Dom are probably here somewhere already, Uncle Bill glaring at any boy who so much as looks at them (there's a reason that Teddy and Vic haven't told anyone over that they're dating) and Aunt Fleur trying to get Louis not to run off. You want to go and look for them, but you're pretty much a good girl and always stay with your parents. You comfort Al when James teases him about being put into Slytherin, although you're pretty sure that's where he'll get placed anyways (and you really don't think that's all that bad- after all, Al is smart and ambitious and scary good at poker). Eventually though, Rose comes over and Al and her go off to their secret conversation. Hugo looks at you, decides that he doesn't want to talk to a girl today, and wanders off to find James. Aunt Hermione looks as if she's tempted to yell at him to come back right now, but is distracted when Uncle Ron starts telling your dad and mum about his adventures in driving.

You decide that it won't hurt if you go and find Vic and Teddy and Dom, so you walk off a quick bye to your dad before Mum can say no. The fog is rather thick, but you can still here the voice of Aunt Luna (she isn't really your aunt but she has the same name as you and therefore gets that distinction) drifting over. You see Mr. Rolf, lecturing Lorcan about something while he rolls his eyes. Aunt Luna and Ly are talking about Nargles or something that you're not entirely sure you want to get involved with.

Dom runs into you, nearly pushing you over. She doesn't apologize, just tugs your hair absentmindedly and runs over to Lorcan who immediately smiles and gives her a hug. You continue on, sure that Aunt Fleur and Uncle Bill and Vic will be over here soon, Aunt Fleur muttering to herself in French the way she does whenever she burns something.

You aren't disappointed. Aunt Fleur hurries out of the fog, scolding Dom (her and Lor do the same exact eye roll thing, it's almost scary). Uncle Bill emerges after, with Vic walking ahead, looking annoyed like she always is when she's with Dom. She smiles though, as soon as she sees you, and you both ask at nearly the same time if the other has seen Teddy. The two of you laugh, Vic whispering that Teddy is going to come and visit her when she goes into Hogsmeade if he has a day off from his job in the Potions lab. You hug her, so happy for the two of them because they are the most absolutely perfect couple in the world. Then Teddy comes, along with your parents. You're not sure where the rest of your cousins are, because with Dom off with Lor and Ly, Hugo somewhere, Al and Rose on their bestest friend adventure and Louis just lost, it seems like half your family has disappeared. James has been gone pretty much since you got here, with only teasing Al and you for a bit his necessary things to first accomplish. The only other family you're sure about are Molly because she's somewhere with Uncle Percy (he was doing his whole speech thing about the Ministry to one of his friends, and you can't really stand politics).

Teddy looks as if he wants to kiss Vic (his hair has turned redredred), so you whisper to him if he's going to tell them now when they won't have enough time to murder him. He nods, looking vaguely sick. You wonder if you should tell him that his hair is turning a rather icky yellow but decide against it. Vic grasps his hand and the two of them walk over to tell Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur. You disappear into the background for a bit, because you are certainly not brave enough to help them out in anyway.

No one dies, is maimed or suffers permanent damage- but that's the best you can say. Uncle Bill looks positively furious, Aunt Fleur looks murderous, Mum and Dad both look a bit hurt like they wish Teddy had told them earlier, Aunt Hermione looks as if she's about to tell them that this is not going to work out, and Aunt Luna and Mr. Rolf look happy. You think that it was Uncle Ron that prevented bloodshed- "Oh, so they've finally got it together," he says and everyone stares.

Aunt Hermione starts with an eloquent, "What! They're four years apart and practically family."

Your dad chimes in with a, "Vic's just fourteen Ron. And did you say that you saw this coming?" Mum also seems to be amazed at this insight. You want to laugh at the expressions of shock across their faces.

They all immediately begin talking over one another and you swear the Aunt Luna winks at Vic and Teddy and motions them away. You three all walk off, and behind you the sound of Aunt Luna saying something about Nargles and young love can be heard.

Since it's the first official day of Teddy and Vic being a couple, you offer to take a picture of them. They refuse, pulling you into the middle with them and Vic takes the picture. You're perched in the middle, Teddy is pressing a kiss to Vic's cheek and his hair is purple blue.

It's perfect, you decide. It's going to be okay.


	3. Chapter 3

_September 1st- Lily: 11 years, Vic: 17 years_

You sit on the wooden stool, the Sorting Hat nearly slipping over your eyes. Hugo's just been Sorted to _Ravenclaw_ (and you can see Rose looking at him with a combination of pride and jealousy from next to James).

A strand of hair tickles your nose but you don't let yourself scratch it, because there are all these people staring at you. You tap your feet on the floor, a nervous habit that you can't quite stop.

The voice isn't quite the same as James told you it would be (he also told you it would cause fire to shoot into your ears), but you aren't disappointed in the least. It sounds nice, oddly like if Nana Granger was a man. You wonder if she would be mad at you for thinking that.

_Another one, hmmm? _It says, though you can tell that it isn't really grumpy.

_Hello! _You think. You figure that the hat hasn't really had many people just come and chat with it, so try and infuse as much of that Lily Potter enthusiasm as possible (and hope it doesn't get annoyed, like Uncle Percy).

The hat pauses for a moment and you swear you can feel it rummaging around in your brain, pulling up memories. _Not a Slytherin, _it states with an air of certainty.

You start to nod in agreement and decide that it would look stupid. _Probably,_ you answer. Al always said you were far too cheerful and straightforward. Around you there are whispers as people try and figure out why in the world this is taking so long. After all, you are both a Potter, a Weasley and a redhead so this should take all the time it says to say Gryffindor.

_Do you think you'd like Ravenclaw? _ it asks next. _With a bit of work you could do quite well there._

_I don't think I'm smart enough, _you answer, managing to keep your mind (voice?) free of bitterness. _Hugo's the brilliant one, you should know._

_Hufflpuff? _It asks next.

_James would make fun of me until I die,_ you inform it. _And I'm not nearly hardworking enough. Mum would expect me to study over winter break or something._

_I suppose you'll want to be a Gryffindor then. _The hat sighs. _I suppose it was inevitable. Every year, at least one of you has to be a Gryffindor._

_Thank you Mr. Sorting Hat,_ you say. _Um, perhaps you should yell out Gryffindor before James comes up here and starts hexing you?_

_Like I'd be scared of him, _it scoffed. _You forget I had to sort the Marauders, Fred and George and Alexander Selwyn. But ah well… you're obviously a _GRYFFINDOR!

You take the hat off, placing it back on the stool with a smile on your face. You're not really sure who Alexander Selwyn is- but it doesn't matter too much, you suppose. Al flashes you a thumbs-up before continuing to talk to Malfoy, James chatting with his friends not that he doesn't have any big brother duties to uphold. Vic smiles for a moment (you think) before returning to your own conversation. Deciding that Molly is the safest option at the Gryffindor table, you slide in next to her.

The rest of the sorting passes quickly and you manage to be absorbed in the conversations around you. They act like you're just a part of their group- although whether it's because of your personality or your last name isn't clear.

Once the Sorting is over, chatter fills the hall. You sit in silence for a moment, watching Hugo talking to a couple of boys you don't know, perfectly at ease among the blue and bronze. You never realized that he had friends outside of the family (and the Scamanders and Longbottoms of course).

Most of your family sticks together here- Lucy, Vic (and what happened to making fun of her snottiness?),Dom, Rose and James all on one end of the table, Roxy and Fred telling each other stupid inside jokes (that's how it _always_ is) and Molly and you at the other. Lysander and Lorcan both sit next to Molly, although you swear that Lorcan keeps glancing over at Dom. You wonder what happened to them being bestest friends forever, then immediately try and concentrate on the food in front of you. After all, that what you and Vic and Teddy are supposed to be.

It's pretty late when dinner's done and though you don't want to say it, you're pretty certain it's way past your bedtime. Instead of saying something so childish (because you're really not a little kid- blame Dad with his obsessive parenting) you drag Vic away from her friends before she can even roll her eyes at them.

"What, Lily?" she asks. It's perfectly clear that she wants to get back to her cool friends who don't remember when she was eight and made mud pies with her little cousin in the backyard.

You pull your camera out of an inside pocket of your jacket. "One, please?" you ask, giving her your best possible puppy eyes. You're pretty certain it won't work (only Dad and James fall for it anymore) but it's worth a shot. "Pretty please with a chocolate frog on top?"

She sighs, ever the put upon older cousin. "Why don't you make James or Al take it with you?" You know you've won though, because she's straightening her tie and her robes and brushing her (already perfect) hair back.

"'Cause this one's for Teddy, of course," you answer. "Silly."

She flicks your shoulder, perfect Victoire falling off for just a moment and you snap the picture. It's a little sideways, but that's quite all right. The one for Mum and Dad will be perfect, but this one's just _wonderful_.

"How'd you get that old Muggle camera to work here?" Vic asks, leading you up the stairs to the tower.

"Secret," you reply. You have to take advantage of any time to tease her now, before she goes back to her friends.

She laughs and you giggle. Both of you pretend that you absolutely don't miss Teddy being there.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Okay, this kind of sucks but here it is. Please review and tell me what you hate or like?**

_June 18th- Lily: 11, Vic: 17, Teddy: 20_

The sun is really, incredibly bright and you swear you can't find anyone from your family despite the fact that during the school year you're basically tripping over them. Vic is going to be graduating really soon and you want to congratulate her first. After all you two were once upon a time best friends and you're still the closest to her out of all the cousins. You glimpse Teddy's hair, brown with a hint of blue, and make your way over to him. Instead of a madly snogging Teddy and Vic, they're just talking (this is kind of unexpected and worries you). For now though, you're quite pleased that you won't have to break them up.

Heedless of the fact that both of their faces are just a bit serious looking, you throw yourself at Teddy. He catches you, the ease of long practice allowing him to duck your hit to the side of his head. You're dropped back to the floor, blushing, after he drops a kiss on your head.

"Hi Vic, Teddy!" you say. "Congrats Vic. You survived!"

Vic nods, smiling in a mostly real way. "Thanks, Lils. Come on, you two. I have to find Grandma."

"But she'll cry and stuff over you and tell embarrassing stories of all of us to anyone who will listen," you inform her, slowly like she's an idiot.

"That's what you guys are for," Vic replies. "Distraction." She grabs you by the hand and begins towing you over to the rest of your family. Teddy follows, trying to look cooler than he actually is (like he's not been forced into following around his eleven year old best friend and his girlfriend).

As expected, Grandma smiles and starts crying a bit. She hugs Vic before Vic can say anything at all and it takes the combined efforts of both you and Teddy to start her talking about something other than how 'her little granddaughter, all grown up and going to be a Healer.' The French Grandparents (that's what you call them anyways) stand next to her and nod, chattering away to each other in French. It's terribly annoying, because you can't understand a word they're saying. Lucy's the only one who knows any other languages at all (and being an overachiever, she knows four others).

Pretty soon Headmistress McGonagall is magnifying her voice and calling everyone to sit, Vic straightening her clothes at the last minute while Aunt Fleur pretends to fix her hair. Vic hurries up to the makeshift stage, taking her place behind her friend Allyson Longbottom. All of your aunts are crying and even your mum is tearing up a little so you turn to Teddy in hopes that he won't be getting soppy (and if he has, you totally have something to hold over him. Al would be so proud).

Vic hurries up on stage and your mum drags you and Teddy into the seats next to her, a way too high Weasley to not Weasley ratio around you.

After the ceremony is done and everyone has cried and hugged everyone else in the post graduation haze of kindness, Vic and Teddy and you are shoved together to take the required picture (it's kind of odd for you, not being the one taking it). You hope that Grandpa doesn't break the camera like Aunt Audrey's, because you've managed to keep this one (the one from Teddy all those years ago) in nearly perfect condition.

Grandpa takes the picture, you squeezed in the middle and for once it's not like you're in the middle of two people who'd really like to be just a tad closer to each other. Teddy's arm is reached around your shoulder and Vic leans on your other, a little bit of space separating the two of them.

The smile on your face nearly slips when you wonder if they're going to break up. It would put a bit of a kink into your plans for the future (involving them getting a house and you living with them- you're still debating whether throwing things is an acceptable way to get them to stop snogging or if you'll just have to resort to shielding your eyes).

And besides that, you would be the one they would probably (a small selfish part of you says hopefully) both turn to and what can you do to comfort two of them at once?

So you go up to them afterwards, forcing the two of them to stand there and talk to you and you're quite certain it looks absolutely ridiculous. Because despite the fact that you managed to get some stupidly tall genes from Uncle Ron, you're still quite a bit shorter than both of them and yet you're glaring at them in a way that makes both of them cringe just a little.

And they cringe and they avoid and they dodge all your questions with half hearted replies (and that red staining Vic's cheeks and Teddy's hair is all you need to know the truth). Vic tells you that you'll talk later and you agree, because it is supposed to be her day after all. Your little not really a fight dissipates for now, hidden beneath more sobbing aunts and grandparents.

Teddy disappears off somewhere but you're mostly certain that you're the only one who notices that he's gone.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Okay, my ages and dates are basically wrong. Which is stupid, because I made them up. But ah well. Please review and tell me what you hate or like?**

_July 28- Lily: 11, Vic: 18, Teddy: 21_

It's at the end of the particularly cold and wet summer after Vic's graduation that they finally get up the nerve to tell you that they're breaking up.

By now, you knew. Because even when they were dancing around you in circles they never let themselves touch, not once. It is sort of disconcerting and you worry and it's terribly stupid because it isn't as if the world is falling apart or something (just your little part).

But you're sitting in your little tree house that doesn't really fit all of you, what with Teddy deciding to grow again despite the fact that he's quite ancient and shouldn't and you only being shorter than Vic when she wears her wicked heels, when they tell you.

It reminds of when you first found out they were dating and there's that same oh crap this feels like when James fed me that candy from Uncle Ron's store that made the world blue and spinny.

You slide in between them, curling up into a little ball with the large sweatshirt (Teddy's, actually) pulled over your knees. Vic half starts, Teddy tries to cut in and their words fall into a jumbled mess that crumbles in the air. Teddy's voice actually cracks and you want to laugh because you're quite certain that they both agreed to end it and it wasn't half as awkward as telling their little best friend.

"You two are breaking up, aren't you?" you ask, deciding that a nudge in the right direction might help them out.

Teddy and Vic glance at each other and somehow they still manage to communicate in their super secret couple way despite the fact that they aren't even dating anymore. For some reason, it annoys you horribly and you have an odd wish to hit both of them. Instead, you settle for attempting to send both of them the famed Lily Potter glare but stop when you realize that they're sitting on opposite sides of you and you can't get both of them in your field of vision at once.

"You know how Teddy's taking the job in America, right Lils?" Vic asks. You nod, but pout a little at the thought that Teddy will be so far away (plus, he's kind of a failure at Apparation and going across the Atlantic is tough even for Aunt Hermione).

"And well, we both agreed that it would be better if we weren't dating." She let's out a breath and Teddy nods. There's something about the way that Vic's mouth is only barely staying above a frown that makes you sure that Vic is not quite as okay as she says and you thought. Teddy just seems relieved, the light brown of his hair shading to a pale green with relief.

Teddy speaks up for the first time. "I'll be leaving tomorrow, Lily," he says.

Because it's expected and partly because you want to, you slide your camera out of one of your pockets. Teddy squeezes you to his side and Vic slides in as close as she can on your other side so that you all fit in the frame. You snap the picture, an air of sadness and something that makes you think of finality hanging over it.

Teddy leaves, hugging you quickly and half darting in to hug Vic before waving instead and hurrying down the ladder. Vic sits down again and you try and think of something to say to comfort her. It's hard, because you aren't really sure of what happened and where their perfect little love went, to know what to do. You settle for sitting next to her, tapping your fingers on the boards beside you in a nervous habit that you've only recently acquired (mostly from stressing out during Transfiguration tests with McGonagall).

"We did agree to break up," Vic says suddenly, as if you've said something to the contrary. "And it was the smart thing to do, and it is better that we're friends and stuff…"

"Mmhhm," you reply and it might be agreement. You pretend very hard that you aren't there and wonder if Vic is just talking to herself. It worries you when Vic gets so very un-Vic like. And somehow she looks terribly young, even to you, between her hair that she braided into tails and her lack of makeup (not that she needs it).

Slowly, she sits up a bit straighter and pulls you into a fierce hug. "Thanks Lils. You're the best."

You pat her on the back, unsure what to reply with. You're saved from having to answer when she lets you go and walks down the stairs, sliding on her highhigh heels before Apparating.

You sit in the tree house for a while longer, flipping through the photo albums that are filled with all the pictures you've taken. There's the one's in the beginning, where half of them are covered with a thumb or just blurry. Then there's the one's where you're perched on Teddy's lap and Vic is holding bunny ears behind his head. The most recent ones have Teddy's arms wrapped around Vic's shoulders and you sort of off to the side a bit.

Carefully, you slide the photo albums back onto the shelves and hurry down the ladder back to the house. You see Scorpious and Rose sitting together and part of you, the hopeless romantic with dreams of love and happily ever afters, wonders what's the difference between these two and Vic and Teddy.

The only thing you can come up with is that Vic and Teddy were together for longer.

**A/N: **Does anyone have a preference to pairings? Please tell me if you do.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Okay, my ages and dates are still pretty screwy and I'm starting to hate this story. Please review and tell me what you hate or like?**

_July 28th- Lily: 13, Vic: 18, Teddy: 21_

It is your birthday and you're finally_finally_ a teenager. Hugo, little child that he is, still is only twelve. You debate with yourself whether you should tease him or bask in your new maturity.

Since you are still you and Hugo is still red headed and brilliant and annoying you tease him for a little while to pass the time until Vic and Teddy (for the first time back home since he took the job) get here. Unfortunately for Hugo, Teddy is terribly late as expected and Vic is too (which is odd and not at all like the perfectionism that she pretends). Of course the part starts without them- food is piled onto tables, Dom and Lor and Rose wander about wreaking havoc while their (better) halves sit and try to avoid misplaced hexes (mostly due to Dom's less than stellar wand work).

Vic shows up before Teddy does, a cute boy named Alec holding her hand in tight grip that looks like it hurts a bit. It isn't like you can blame him, what with all of your cousins and siblings descending upon him and Uncle Bill treating him to an even scarier death glare than the one that Teddy got. This boy is the first one that Vic has brought home, except for Teddy, so you're ready to congratulate him when Teddy walks in the gate with a black haired girl holding his hand.

It's then that you realize that, no matter how much older Teddy and Vic are, they are still incredibly silly about some things. Judging from the way that Teddy pulls his girl closer when he sees Vic with a boy, and the way that Vic pulls Alex closer with a little turning on of Veela charm, you're pretty sure that the only reason they have dates is because they knew the other was going to be here.

It's been a year and they're both trying to prove that they are completely and totally over each other. You feel oddly hurt for some reason, more hurt than when you first found out Teddy and Vic were dating. The two of them aren't just yours anymore.

Teddy's hair starts turning orangeish and Vic's face is flushed, both of them staring only at the other and not even noticing the crowd of people around them (including you).

Heaving a sigh at the thought that this birthday kind of sucked, you wandered off to the tree house, hoping that James and Alice aren't there already. Luckily, they aren't.

You sit in the tree house for a while, a little bit of needed peace. It's kind of funny- your teachers say that "exuberant" is not quite enough to capture you, your parents tease you about being a little spitfire and, kind of ironically, lately both Teddy and Vic have taken to calling you dragon girl. And yet, you really like hanging out with just a few friends and being able to just listen sometimes.

You wonder if it's Teddy or Vic that you should be comforting or talking to. Feminine solidarity pulls you to Vic, but Teddy writes more despite the fact he's busy with his job. For now, torn between the two, you decide to be just Lily instead of TeddyandLily or VicandLily.

Unfortunately, your moment of peace is broken be harsh words rising from below.

"We're supposed to be finding Lily, not arguing like _children_," Vic says. You've never heard her talk like this to anyone before (except for one time to Alexander Zabini).

Teddy's voice answers and you can tell he's trying, and failing, to stay calm. "I'm not the one who's shouting. Or the one who brought some random guy they seduced just to prove they weren't pining or whatever." The faint sound of Vic gasping sounds soso loud, because never ever did any of them hold what they were against the others (Potter_Veela_Metamorphagus).

You peer out of the window, the two of them evidently forgetting about you at Teddy's words. His hair cycles from red to bright sickening green to brown and then back to red again.

Vic shuffles her feet nervously, nearly falling over in her high heels. "I thought we were in _love_ or something." Vic's voice isn't angry anymore, it's terribly sad and you can't keep track of the way her emotions change and Teddy's hair shifts from color to color.

You kind of want to jump in between them, pull them back to the party, back to loudness. Because even having a bit of peace and quiet is not worth listening to these two yell and fight and (worst of all) speak in that sad, flat tone.

While you've been thinking to yourself, they've finished for now. "I should be getting back to Lisa," Teddy says, just as Vic speaks up with, "Alex will be missing me."

They both glance away from each other and begin walking back to the party, forgetting about you for now.

You can't let them slip away, can't let the best friends you've ever had slide away from you and each other (and it's unbearably selfish but you don't care right now), so you hurry after them.

Your hands catch theirs and you pull them to a halt, Teddy and Vic looking at you with identical expressions of surprise and shock. You don't say anything, just pull them to your side and glare at them to ensure they stay while you fumble for your camera.

"Best friends forever," you say. When their eyes meet over your head (before skittering away from each other) you know they think you're terribly naïve and _whatever_. You don't care and instead take the picture.

It's among the worst you've taken in a while because Teddy's hair is only barely changing back from blue and Vic's mouth is tugging up and down all at once, but it's you three right now, together.

And whatever comes next, you're (almost) sure that you'll be able to face it together.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I've had an inordinate amount of inspiration over this four day weekend- lucky (or maybe unlucky?) you guys! Please, as always, tell me what you like and what you hate. And do the characters seem realistic still or not?**

_March 26th- Lily: 14, Vic: 19_

It's spring break and you're at home alone. Vic is supposed to come over and watch you (because despite the fact that you're perfectly old enough to care for yourself your parents insist on treating you like a _baby_) but she won't be here for a while.

You lay on the grass in the backyard, thoughts about Teddy and Vic and boys and stupid things like that itching in your mind like the particularly long blade of grass scratching the back of your neck. Well, to be quite honest, it's the lack of boys that you're thinking about. All of the boys at school are just a little bit scared of your redred hair and blueblue eyes and loud highs and silent lows (and the fact they all think you're at least a seventh year despite you being only a fourth year). Besides, Teddy's always been the boy in your life, even when he's not there (and no one can compare to him).

Maybe you fall asleep a little, because the next thing you see is Vic's feet propped on top of your stomach, nails painted with a fresh coat of gold.

"Hey Lils," she says, dropping her book on the ground next to her. You and her have gotten closer this past year and to be honest none of the other girls in your year are half as good friends with you as she is.

"Hi," you reply. Your camera lies on the ground beside you, just as it almost always does (except when you go swimming, but if you managed to figure out a waterproof charm you'd bring it there to).

The two of you sit in silence for a while and you think about how nice it is that her and Teddy managed to make things moderately unawkward between the two of them. It was hard when they sort of hated each other, you torn between the two of them, uncertain who to turn to without losing both of them at once.

"How's Mark? " you ask eventually, sure that Vic will want to tell you how her date went last night. It must have been pretty good- she only ever paints her nails gold after really spectacular times.

"Really sweet," she tells you. "He brought me flowers and he _blushed_." For some odd reason Vic goes after the kind of bumbling type, a little shy and sweet. Maybe that way she can be in control, because despite loving her you have to admit she's kind of anal about- well, everything. "Oh," Vic continues. "And he even remembered that I like roses the best."

"Vic," you say. "That's basically the go-to flower for every single guy in the history of dating." Not, of course, that you have ever been on the receiving end of flowers of any type. Pessimistically, you wonder how many flowers and declarations of love Vic had by her fourth year.

You see Vic's shadow shrug out of the corner of one eye. "I suppose. But it's better to have low expectations that be disappointed, right?" Her dating philosophy is pretty depressing, especially for someone as pretty as she is. You wonder if this is some horrid side effect of Teddy and her break up. It would also explain the reason why she hasn't been in a committed relationship for a while.

Suddenly a burst of energy rises through you. You get up, unceremoniously shoving Vic's feet off of your stomach. "Picture time," you say and laugh (never, not ever, giggle).

"Yeah, I guess we have to send Teddy a picture of how much you've managed to grow again." She stands up with a groan, before giving up and pulling you back down to the ground. "Actually, I refuse to be shown how much of a midget I am. We're taking this sitting down."

You sigh, a put upon dreadfully exaggerated sigh that you actually copied from Aunt Hermione when Uncle Ron is being particularly thick. Quickly, you snap the picture and both of you laugh that picture Vic is frantically attempting to disentangle pieces of grass from her hair.

Later, when you're putting the picture in the mail with the letter you scrawled off, you wonder how Teddy's doing. He writes all the time, at least once a week and it leads you to believe he really does nothing with his time but measure ingredients and watch funky smelling potions bubble (you don't quite understand his love for potions, but you do understand his wish to get the Wolfsbane potion perfect).

Teddy never writes about girlfriends, only talks about how he hangs out with all the guys and all the girls think he's so cool because he has a British accent. You're uncertain as to whether he doesn't write about girlfriends because he knows you'll tell Vic and he thinks she'll be hurt or he's just living a very solitary life.

Part of you is terribly, meanly glad that he doesn't have a girlfriend. After all, if Teddy is your closest guy then you should be his closest girl, right?


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I realize this hasn't been updated in forever, and I'm pretty sure it isn't as good as the previous chapters. However, my computer is finally letting me upload stuff so I'm putting this up in honor of that. Also, this is for kats in socks- pretty sure that's her name- who writes the nicest reviews. So yeah, hope you like this and I'm not just writing this for myself.

You receive a letter from Teddy the summer after your fifth year, heralding his return from the States. It's technically to all of the Potters, but when his owl, Maximus, (named in a stupid fit of glory sometimes between his second and third year) taps at the window you're the one who immediately jumps up and takes possession. It's pretty short and his usually neat handwriting has gotten worse, but you grasp onto the words that say _he's coming home_.

There's other stuff too, like about how he's getting a job at Aunt Hermione's lab and shop, _The Prince's Potions_, but the only thing you remember is the date. You manage to inform your parents, Al, and James (who should be doing something with his life instead of lazing at home) before racing to the fireplace to Floo Vic. You tumble through ahead of your parent's protests about wearing pajamas in public. It doesn't matter anyways, because you've got your wand and your camera so everything is perfectly decent.

When you arrive at Vic's flat, you cross your fingers in the hopes that she doesn't have a guy over, stumble through her living room and almost trip despite its unnatural cleanliness, and finally burst through the door to her room.

She's sleeping, wearing that stupid Veela glow that means she doesn't snore or drool or say embarrassing things, which makes you a tad grumpy (so maybe Aguamenti isn't the best way to wake someone up- blame it on Lorcan Scamander).

Vic wakes up spluttering and you laugh despite the nasty glare she fixes you with, happiness overflowing. A small part of you thinks that it's a little sad that someone you haven't seen in a year can make you this happy, but you squash it. Teddy is special.

You throw the letter at her, allowing her to dry off first and curse you with some very nasty language that you're pretty sure is James' fault (those professional Quidditch players have some very interesting vocabulary). "Read it, read it!" you tell her. You feel five instead of fifteen, but it doesn't matter because Teddy will be back soon.

"He's coming back, for real?" Vic asks, uncertainty coloring her words. You wonder about her sometimes, about her vulnerability that still present whenever Teddy's mentioned. No matter the little dates she's gone on or the declarations of love, there's still something about Teddy.

Or maybe you're just reading into this way too much and she just wants to know when he's coming back.

Either way, you sit down next to her on the bed, calm once again. "Yeah," you answer her, a small smile tugging at the edge of your mouth. Then, because blunt is usually the way to deal with Vic, you ask, "Do you not want to see him or something?"

Vic doesn't slap or hex you, so you figure you're going to be okay. She thinks for a little while, a comfortable silence welling up between the two of you. "I miss him, some. I guess," she finally says. You wait for her to continue talking, knowing that prodding more won't get her to open up farther. "It'll be fine, Lils. It's been years and it wasn't like we were truly in love, you know." You remember shouted conversations that say something different, but leave her be.

"We're going to all be okay, then?" Your question is quiet, matching her serious tone now that your excitement has calmed down a little.

"Course," she replies. A smile spreads across her face, a real one, not like those fake ones she uses to lure the boys in (you've watched enough guys fall for that to know it well). "And I suppose now it's picture time?" she asks, a teasing tone threading through her words.

"You know me too well," you say, and laugh. Because it's Vic, she shoves you out of the room with clothes (yours, actually, because during the summer you live here over the weekends), and then shoves you back into the room as she barricades herself in the bathroom. After you dress, you start writing the letter. Random words are Charmed red and gold (because you've got some House pride no matter what James says) and you've finished by the time she emerges.

When you're deemed good enough and she can't find anything more to fix for herself, you grab your camera and snap the picture. In it, Vic is trying to pull you down to a more reasonable height, and you're smiling so wide that all the freckles on your cheeks are scrunched up.

Then, because Vic thinks the picture isn't quite perfect, the two of you spend the rest of the afternoon taking artsy shots that involve sparkles, assorted roses from her boy of the week, and 'fierce' model looks. She should be studying for her Healing exam for university and technically you promised your mum you would clean today, but…

Teddy's coming home.


End file.
